PHOENIX — A new bill would allow the Arizona State Mine Inspector to prevent new aggregate mines from existing near residential neighborhoods.
The bill, HB2685, would require applicants to provide information on the proposed aggregate mine’s distance from occupied residential structures.
The inspector would then have the authority to review and approve proposed reclamation plans with that information.
The bill also would require applicants to notify all residents within a half-mile of the site before submitting the proposed plan to the State Mine Inspector.
As the law stands, the inspector is limited in their authority to stop a new aggregate mine from moving into an established residential neighborhood.
"There's a small loophole in the law," Republican Rep. Selina Bliss told 12News. “We are trying to empower the mine inspector in that position with this bill to have the tools and the authority to stop inappropriate new aggregate mines setting up in a home near you.”
This bill comes after a company tried to build an aggregate mine on residentially zoned land in Chino Valley.
12News first reported on this story last year after Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes took legal action to try and stop the mine.
The mine was prevented only after a nearby resident bought the land.
The bill was introduced on Jan. 29 and sponsored by Bliss, Republican Rep. Quang Nguyen and Republican Sen. Ken Bennett.
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